Fade: REWRITE
by cardcaptor-kanna
Summary: Yue Xu, the youngest legendary vampire hunter, has one mission: avenge the death of her family. Currently being looked after by the Authority who have learned that Russell Edgington is alive, she finally has her chance at revenge. But she seems to be getting more questions than answers. For starters, why does her blood smell like rotting corpses? T for now, may become M later.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, people of the True Blood fandom! Welcome to the rewrite of Fade! Please enjoy the first chapter! I'll try to update this as much as I can.**

 **kanna does not own True Blood.**

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My name is Yue Xu. I'm twelve years old, and I'm a vampire hunter. I have hunted vampires since I was seven years old. When I was five, a vampire killed both my parents and my little sister, Mei Xing. I somehow escaped and was taken in by a vampire named Godric, who took me to the Magister a year later. The Magister was the one who taught me how to hunt and kill vampires. Godric taught me the valuable skill of judgment to determine which vampires I killed and which ones I let live another day.

Godric was my best friend. When I heard he met the sun, it was as if my heart had been ripped from my body. I couldn't properly grieve. I wasn't allowed to show much in the way of emotion in front of the Magister, which made mourning the loss even more difficult. I heard he had someone by the name of Sookie Stackhouse with him at the end, though, so at least he didn't die alone. I tried convincing myself of that much.

Speaking of death, I had yet another one to avenge: the Magister's. He was murdered by a 3,000-year-old vampire named Russell Edgington, the vampire king of Mississippi. I heard from the Nan Flanagan that Russell was dead. I was ashamed not to be the one to give him the True Death.

I was currently standing in the shadows of the main room of the authority's headquarters, unseen. There were two vampires who sat on their knees in front of the Guardian; vampires who I had learned earlier were the vampire king of Louisiana (Bill Compton) and the sheriff of Area 5 (Eric Northman). I watched the Guardian of the authority, Roman Zimojic, take out a strange and sharp object from a box. He used it to cut his wrist, and then draw some blood into a built-in vial as the wound closed itself. I had seen this ritual before. Roman went around to each of the chancellors of the authority and gave them each a drop of blood from the vial while he said in Hebrew, "The blood of Lilith. The First, the Last, the Eternal. We are born of Lilith, she who was created in G-d's image. The First, the Last, the Eternal. We swear fealty to the Blood and to the Progenitor. The First, the Last, the Eternal. Lord and Lilith, Father and Mother, protect us as we protect you, from this day until the hour of the True Death...And in Lord and Lilith's name, we say...vampyr."

Chinese (more specifically, Mandarin) was my first language, English being my second. I knew enough Hebrew to get by with what the authority said in their rituals, and was fluent in multiple European languages. The Magister taught me many languages, but mostly European ones, as European vampires were most common in Louisiana, which was where we were living. Ancient Greek was, surprisingly, the one I managed to pick up the quickest.

The chancellor vampires retracted their fangs. I had been in the Authority's quarters since the Magister died over a year ago, so they had gotten used to my presence. Roman was surprisingly willing to take me in, and it seemed like Chancellor Alexander Drew (the youngest of the chancellors in age and appearance) was eager to have someone who appeared his age around.

Surprisingly, none of the Authority members wanted my blood. Not that I ever offered. However, I overheard them on multiple occasions saying that it smelled like rotting corpses. I sometimes wondered why, but it was not something I pondered much on. There were other pressing matters at hand. For example, the current matter of Bill Compton, Eric Northman, and now-traitor to the authority, Chancellor Nora Gainesborough.

Nora was like a big sister to me. She helped me with learning more about the Authority and how it operated. It was very complicated, and there was a lot I didn't understand, but the chancellors were patient. Most of them, at any rate. The jury was still out on Chancellor Alexander Drew, and I didn't talk to Chancellor Salome Agrippa much, if at all.

"Mr. Compton," Roman drawled, "Mr. Northman. To meet under these circumstances, it is a shame. One of several recent disappointments. You think you know somebody." Roman looked at Nora as he said this. "You consider them an ally for centuries. And when they betray you, they won't tell you why, no matter how persuasive can be." Nora was taken screaming from the room. Roman sighed. "I'm in a real pickle here, boys."

"No kidding," I thought to myself.

"According to Nan Flanagan, you...what is it she liked to call you guys? Fuck up one and fuck up two, you have made egregious errors." I never liked Nan Flanagan, but by the sound of things, she didn't like Bill or Eric. I continued to listen, as Roman continued, "Rocket launchers, your so-called 'Festival of Tolerance,' where humans were attacked by vampires in full view of the media with our official spokesperson in attendance...keeping that quiet wasn't cheap. Now, Nan was no prize, either. Still, she was Authority. And that, boys, is the point! We are the Authority! I am the Authority!" When Roman's voice got dangerously low like it just did, I knew he meant business. Things weren't looking good for Bill and Eric.

"The True Death for Northman means...the True Death for Northman," Roman continued. Did I mention that Roman liked to talk? A lot? He seemed like one of those people who just loved the sound of his own voice. He turned to Bill and asked, "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Sanguinista movement?"

Bill's fear was evident in his eyes, even though he did his best not to show it as he replied that he didn't know what it was. Roman then turned to Eric with the same question. Eric showed no fear as he answered, "You know, trying to stay away from politics as much as possible."

"Are you-"

"And religion."

"Are you just in it for yourself? You think the whole concept of the common good is hopelessly naive?" Roman turned to face the chancellors. "Chancellors?"

"Well, it chaps my ass to say this," Chancellor Rosalyn Harris said, "but when you got lame horses, you put them down. The mainstreaming agenda is just too damn important. It cannot fail." She faced Bill and Eric. "True Death for these fellows."

"They destroyed a very real threat to all vampires," Chancellor Kibwe Akinjide pointed out. "If there is no documentation of humans being killed by vampires then we are infinitely better served letting them live." I noticed Chancellor Drew shift uncomfortably in his chair. This puzzled me, but I let the voting continue without interruption.

Chancellor Drew banged the table with his hand as he growled, "They killed an Authority member!"

"She was on her way out."

"She-" Roman held up his hand, effectively silencing Chancellor Drew.

"As you can see, this council has had heated debates on what to do with you two sons of guns," Roman commented. "However, there is one more person whose opinion I would like to ask."

The chancellors all nodded and I came out of the shadows and stood in front of Roman. I saw Bill and Eric raise an eyebrow in surprise as I emerged. Clearly, they were surprised to see a human in the authority's headquarters. "Guardian, what is it you require of me?" I asked as I bowed to Roman and the other chancellors.

"Huntress, I require your opinion. True Death for Northman and Compton. Yes or no?" Roman asked.

"Why are you asking me?" I asked as I switched from English to Chinese. "I'm just a human."

"You are a huntress," Roman replied in the same language. When we did speak to each other, which was not that often, we used Chinese. It was the one language that none of the chancellors understood, and allowed for me to ask questions without the other chancellors' understanding of what was being said. "You are just as important as any member of the Authority. You help keep the peace between vampires and humans. Or have you forgotten your duty?"

I sighed. "You're right. I should not have forgotten my duty. I'm sorry." I walked over to Bill and Eric and looked at them. I didn't know these vampires. Well, I didn't know much about Eric, other than that he was the sheriff of Area 5 and owned a vampire bar in Shreveport, Louisiana. Bill, on the other hand, I knew a little bit more about. I wasn't there when it happened, but the Magister told me about how he forced Bill to become a Maker and sire a young girl named Jessica. Did it really matter to me whether they lived or died? No. However, they did have connections that I had a feeling would help me in the long run. "Let them-"

Bill cut me off with, "I offer you an exchange." I raised an eyebrow. This was getting interesting. "Our lives in exchange for Russell Edgington." Chancellor Harris laughed, but I was confused. Russell Edgington was dead, from what Nan Flanagan told Roman and the other chancellors.

"Russell Edgington is dead," I said in a monotone voice. "Nan Flanagan assured the Guardian of it; she assured the world of it _on camera_."

"Sheriff Northman and I consigned him to the ground," Bill replied, "but we did not kill him." I wanted to slap myself at the IDIOTS these two vampires were. Why wouldn't you kill a psycho vampire? Why would you only consign him to the ground? What were Bill and Eric, baby vamps? Apparently, the chancellors were having the same thoughts I was, as they exchanged looks amongst themselves. "Tragic mistake," Bill added.

"He has just now broken free," Eric said.

After a collective gasp from the chancellors, Roman cruelly smiled and replied, "That sounds like a lie to me."

"But it is the truth," Eric sighed. "Whether we live or die, you will find out soon enough."

Chancellor Agrippa walked up to Roman and caressed his shoulder. "They have every reason to lie," she commented, "but I must say that I'm intrigued."

"Russell wants nothing more than anarchy," Bill growled. "If you would like your entire mainstreaming agenda and your entire administration to be completely obliterated, then by all means, ignore me."

"The only thing Russell wants more is to see us dead," Eric said.

"Why?" I asked.

"He pissed me off. Then I pissed him off. You know how these things go."

"No," Roman said in a dangerously low tone of voice, "I don't."

"I do," I thought to myself as I recalled the day my family was slaughtered by him.

"Why would you keep Russell Edgington alive?" Roman asked.

"After what he did, we felt the True Death was too good for him," Bill confessed.

"We wanted him to suffer," Eric added.

"You WHAT?" Roman almost shouted. "You disobeyed the Authority...to satisfy your feelings?" Roman took a stake from a box and ran over to grab Bill at vampire speed. He bared his fangs and shouted, "I FEEL LIKE STAKING YOU SO FUCKING MUCH RIGHT NOW!"

"Guardian," Eric called out. Roman looked at Eric. "I was the one who did it."

Roman turned back to Bill. "You're a king, and you allowed him? Lilith, help me, I am going to stake you!" The tip of the stake was at Bill's chest, but it didn't go through. Roman retracted his fangs and released Bill. "Unfortunately, unlike the two of you, I understand there are a great many things more important than my personal desires."

"Guardian, I promise you," Bill pleaded, "Now Russell is free, he will stop at nothing to find us. And when he does, you will be there to put an end to him as we should have. I offer this to you as a final gesture of solidarity." Bill swallowed hard. "I, like you, believe mainstreaming is possible and essential. But Russell must be stopped. I fully expect to meet the True Death, either way."

I held my hand out for the stake, which Roman handed to me. "I care neither whether you live or die," I commented as I pointed the stake at them. "But if you have a way of getting us Russell, if you have a way that proving my request to let you live was correct, then by all means. Bring him to the Authority. Now go. You have a job to do." I looked at the guards and they escorted Bill and Eric out. "Now what?" I asked Roman. "This is a new development. We have to keep it quiet."

"You think I don't know that?" Roman hissed. He sighed. "Russel Edgington, alive. What an epic fucking disaster!"

"Allow me to take care of these traitors, Guardian," Chancellor Agrippa asked. "They will beg for the True Death."

"Shouldn't we at least consider their proposal?" Chancellor Dieter Braun asked.

"Since when do we negotiate with apostates? If they think they can smoke out Russell Edgington, why not let them try? The odds are they won't survive the fight."

"What kind of precedent does that set?" Chancellor Harris countered. "Rewarding these traitors...for what? Not following orders in the first place. We cannot condone this blatant insubordination."

"Chancellor Harris," I interrupted. Everyone turned to look at me. "Forgive me for being rude, but you would sentence your own maker to the True Death if it served your political agenda."

"You're right, huntress," Chancellor Harris replied. "However, my maker was a true pioneer, a true mainstreamer, unlike some people-"

"Chancellors, thank you for your input," Roman interrupted. "Be assured that I will take it all under advisement. Bless the Blood." Just as the chancellors and I were about to leave, Roman said, "Stay." I raised an eyebrow as the chancellors returned to their seats and I returned to my spot next to Roman. "The Sanguinistas have turned Russell Edgington into some kind of hero for ripping out a man's spine on TV. He has become the poster boy for the anti-mainstream movement, their Osama bin Laden. Do you know the one thing more dangerous than a martyr?"

"A 3,000-year-old vampire who hasn't fed in over a year," I answered. "Suffering does not kill the appetite for power. It exacerbates it."

"I've dedicated my guardianship to the fight for coexistence," Roman growled, "and I will not see it go swirling down the shitter because of one ancient, pissed-off psychopath." He turned to one of the guards. "Send in for the new Nan Flanagan." The guard left.

"'New Nan Flanagan?'" I repeated. I wondered who it could be, but my question was answered when a vampire all too familiar to me entered and approached Roman, and I was ready to rush this particular vampire and stake him.

It was the former leader of the Fellowship of the Sun, Reverend Steve Newlin.

"HIM?" I shouted incredulously as I pointed at him with the stake. It took everything I had not to rush at him and stake him. While Godric did offer himself to the Fellowship of the Sun and was not kidnapped, Steve Newlin still had a hand in his death and I was not going to let it slide. I started to walk to Steve, but I was restrained by Roman's vampire strength. I sighed. Clearly, I was not going to win this one. Roman held out his other hand and I returned the stake to him. "He's the new spokesperson for the AVL?" I asked Roman in Chinese.

Roman nodded. "We have to bring him up to speed. He's the one who will keep this quiet. Do you want to do the honors, Yue?" he asked in the same language.

"Hell, no. Who the fuck turned him, anyway? He seems young for a vampire. _Very_ young. If I had to guess, I'd say not even a year old."

"You'd be correct, Yue. It's been...four months, I believe, since he was turned. He said it was some woman who turned him. Didn't say who." I nodded in understanding, but I was still surprised. What vampire didn't know their maker? The Magister had explained to me how vampires were made, and part of the process involved being in the ground with the human they just turned. I wasn't entirely sure what that did, but the Magister explained how it created the bond between progeny and maker...or something like that. For Steve's maker to just up and leave was a new one. Almost every vampire's maker (that I knew of) stuck by their progeny and taught them things like how to control their urges and how to glamor a human. So why didn't Steve's maker stick around?

As I was pondering this, Steve smiled and said, "It is an honor to be of service."

"Suck up," I thought as I glared at him. Oh, how I wanted to stake him. I knew Roman would stop me, though, and I couldn't afford to make myself look bad in front of the Authority.

"Nan Flanagan," Roman began to explain, "may the cold bitch rest in peace, went on CNN and told the world Russell Edgington had met the true death more than a year ago. Tonight, however, we have learned that he is still very much alive."

"Excuse me, sir," Steve asked, "but says who? Elvis was spotted buying turkey jerky in a 7-Eleven in Yakima last Thursday, but that doesn't mean he's still alive. That just means people will believe anything they wanna believe. Humans are not rational." I coughed to indicate a human was in the room. "Most humans," Steve corrected himself. "They are 100% motivated by fear. All they want is to feel safe, to know that they're good and right and they're gonna end up in a heaven full of puffy clouds with everybody they've ever loved wearing angel wings. So, you tell me what you what them to believe and I'll sell it to them."

"Reverend Newlin, you have been a vampire now for, what, four months?" Roman asked condescendingly. "And yet you find it funny to ridicule and underestimate the human race? The race that birthed all of us into existence? Is this some kind of joke?"

Just as Steve was about to protest, Chancellor Agrippa explained, "Reverend Newlin was recruited because of his connection to the Fellowship of the Sun. With his influence in the religious right, he'll be able to speak to people we never hoped to reach. He can be valuable if we give him the chance." She stood up and walked to Steve. "Don't be nervous, Steve. I was new once. I get it. All I wanted to do was feed, fuck, and kill. It took me centuries to realize that humans aren't just talking meat. They're our ancestors. None of us would be here without them."

Roman was about to ask something, but I beat him to the punch, "Have you heard of the Sanguinista movement?" Steve shook his head no. "They believe that humans should be farmed like cattle, owned like slaves. They believe in nothing. They've learned nothing from history."

"Why do you refer to your race as though you aren't one of them?" Steve asked. "You're human. Your blood smells like a rotting corpse, but you're still human. You aren't one of us. Why are you even here, anyway? You aren't an Authority member."

"I'm as good as," I growled as I grabbed Steve by the collar. Roman did nothing to restrain me, nor did any of the chancellors. "I'm a hunter. Not just any hunter, but a vampire hunter. The Magister, may he rest well once his death is avenged, taught me everything I know. I've been surrounded by vampires for most of my life, and while I don't consider myself one of them-no offense, Guardian, Chancellors-I've been referring to my race in the third person because of how I was brought up by the Magister. Does that answer your question, you little shit?" Steve's eyes widened in fear as he nodded. "Good." I let go of his collar.

"If we do not evolve," Roman said, "if we continue to behave like fucking savages, the humans will rise up. They will retaliate with their armies. It is just a matter of time. Right now this council is the only thing preventing a civil war. That is why I need you, Steven. If, for whatever reason, our sources are unable to bring Russell Edgington in quietly and he winds up on the TV threatening to eat children, I will need a friendly, trustworthy, vampire mainstreamer who knows how to work a crowd."

"I won't let you down, sir," Steve responded.

"You'd better not." Steve left the room as Roman turned to a female Authority member and said, "Make sure Mr. Northman and Mr. Compton are harnessed and thoroughly scanned. We do not want a repeat of the necromancy bullshit."

"'Harnessed?'" I repeated.

"i-Stakes," the female Authority member replied. I nodded in understanding. While I had never seen the Authority use the i-Stakes before, I knew what they were for and what they did. They were pretty much stakes that were built into a harness and could activate through a special app on an iPhone with the push of a button. Supposedly, the stake was faster than a bullet, and the system knew everything the vampire wearing it did. The Authority member walked out.

* * *

I couldn't sleep that night, so I walked to the enormous library in the Authority's HQ. They had books on...pretty much everything (even not-vampire-related stuff), and Roman said it was free for me to use. I grabbed a random book off the shelf and sat in a comfy chair to read it. A few minutes after I started reading it, I heard screams from below. Nora's screams, to be exact. No doubt one of the chancellors was torturing her for information. Nora was strong, but there was only so much any vampire could take. I sighed as I continued to read and ignored the screams. There was nothing I could do, after all. "Can't sleep?" I heard Roman ask as he sat in the chair across from mine.

"No," I sighed. I put the book down. "How did you know I was here, anyway? You and the others don't like my smell, so I doubt you followed that."

"This is where you go whenever something's bothering you," Roman answered with a small smile. As for why you couldn't sleep, was it Nora's screams? You know we can't-"

"I just couldn't sleep, that's all. I'm just..."

"What?"

"Never mind." I couldn't afford to show emotion in front of Roman. While he was more lenient than the Magister on that sort of thing and did let me show emotion from time to time, this particular emotion was something I couldn't afford for him to see: jealousy.

"Yue, you know you're like a daughter to me. Tell me."

"This particular emotion...I can't show it." Roman continued to look at me and I relented, "I'm jealous. Bill and Eric get to give Russell the True Death. I wanted to be the one to do it. He massacred my family. I want revenge."

"There's nothing I can do about that. I'm sorry, Yue."

"I understand. I'll deal with it." I had to be okay with it. I didn't really have much of a choice.

The screams grew louder. "Nora confessed to being Sanguinista," Roman explained with a sigh.

"If it makes any difference, Bill and Eric aren't," I replied. "They can be trusted."

"To be honest, Yue, I'm not sure who I can trust anymore because of this confession."

"You can't afford to take a different route, so don't even think about that. Mainstreaming is working. It seems to be, at any rate. But..."

Roman raised an eyebrow. "But what?"

"I'm scared for you. I don't want to lose anyone else. This whole Russell-thing just seems like a big risk to the Authority." Roman was about to speak, but I cut him off with, "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I'm only human, so what would a human know about the Authority? I'm not talking about politics or hierarchy or whatever when I talk about this, though. I'm talking about actual lives. I'm worried this is going to be another massacre the minute he walks through those doors."

"And that's why I have you, Yue." Roman put his hand over mine. "You're my secret weapon. There's nothing to worry about."

"No?" I wasn't sure.

"Nothing to worry about." Roman stood up and held out a hand. "I need a Tru Blood before going to ground tonight. Want a midnight snack?"

I shrugged. "Why not?" I took his hand and stood up. We walked out of the library in silence until we reached the kitchen. The kitchen was almost as big as the library, but not quite. It had just about every cooking implement you could think of, and I made sure it was always stocked with enough human food for me. Or the day-men did when I was busy with my studies.

Roman took a B-negative Tru Blood out of the cabinet while I made myself a peanut butter sandwich. He took a drink. "Is it good?" I blurted out, even though I already knew the answer.

"Not as good as the real thing, but it does the job," Roman answered.

"Why..." I hesitated.

"Why what?"

"Why does my blood smell bad? I mean, I know I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but that's what you and the chancellors say."

Roman looked at me. "You've wanted to know for a while, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"I can't tell you, as I don't entirely know myself."

"But you know something," I implied.

Roman sighed. "Yes."

It was my turn to sigh. I wasn't going to get anymore information out of him. I finished my sandwich and said good night, when Roman did something surprising: he gave me a hug. I wondered why as he let me go back to my room. Was it to reassure me that everything would be okay? I hoped so. I didn't want to lose anymore family.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hope you're enjoying this rewrite! I'm enjoying rewriting it!**

 **kanna does not own True Blood**

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It was dinnertime for me, so I settled for some pasta with ham, olives, and spinach. I loved that Roman allowed me to buy pretty much any food or drink I wanted. While most children would use an opportunity like this to raid a candy store or buy all the junk food in the world, I had to keep a healthy physique and eat healthy. Junk food was okay every now and then, but I had to eat right and exercise. Lucky for me, the Authority's building was pretty big, so I could run a couple of laps around it during the daytime.

As I put the pasta into a pot of boiling water, I saw Chancellor Agrippa and Roman come into the kitchen. Roman was holding an open laptop and put it down on the table as Chancellor Agrippa went to the fridge. "Tru Blood, Guardian?" she offered.

Roman shook his head and sighed as he sat in front of the laptop. He pushed the volume button on the laptop. Nora's screams that there wasn't another traitor in the Authority could be heard. I noticed the pasta finished in the water, so I strained it before I put it on a plate and mixed the diced ham, black olives, and spinach into it. I then sat across from Roman. "She's holding out, I know it," Roman sighed.

"She probably has allies," I said as I took a forkful of pasta.

"Continue her torture until she breaks," Salome suggested. "Everyone breaks eventually."

"This cancer in our midst. How long can we watch and wait before it kills us?" Roman asked.

"I think you should speak to her, Chancellor Agrippa," I said. Roman nodded in agreement. "I'm not sure how much my opinion counts in the Authority-"

"Your opinion counts a great deal, Huntress," Roman interrupted. "I shouldn't have to remind you of that. Continue."

"Thank you. From what I've seen, Chancellor Gainesborough looks to you as a sister, Chancellor Agrippa. I think you're the only one who can get her to open up and give up the names."

"And if she doesn't?" Chancellor Agrippa asked.

"Then fuck it," Roman said. "We execute her publicly. Let the Sanguinistas know that we are willing to kill just as much as they are."

Chancellor Agrippa smiled flirtatiously at Roman. I know Roman said I was like a daughter to him, and he was like a father to me, but Chancellor Agrippa would never, ever, be like a mother to me. She just gave me bad vibes. I can't really explain it. "You know I can be persuasive, hm?" she asked Roman in a flirtatious tone. She kissed his cheek.

I made a gesture to show how grossed out I was. "Get a room," I thought to myself as I finished eating. I took my dishes to the sink, rinsed them, and loaded them into the dishwasher. I walked into the main room of the Authority's HQ where I saw Chancellor Drew staring at something on his laptop. Chancellors Akinjide, Braun, and Harris were there, too. They nodded as they noticed my presence.

I pulled up a chair next to Chancellor Drew. I was going to ask what he was looking at, but he cut me off when he angrily asked, "Standing around in Northman's bar. This is finding Russell Edgington?"

"Has it occurred to anyone that they may have killed Russell a year ago, and this hunt is a charade to buy more time?" Chancellor Akinjide calmly asked as he looked around the room before turning back to his own laptop.

"Or perhaps a hoax to rally the Sanguinistas?" Chancellor Braun suggested.

"That is a possibility, but Mr. Compton said he didn't even know what the Sanguinista movement was," I countered.

"How do we know he isn't lying?" Chancellor Drew asked me.

I sighed. "We don't. You're right. But I have a feeling they're telling the truth about the Sanguinistas. If they wanted to rally them, don't you think they'd make their allegiance a little more...open?"

Chancellors Harris and Akinjide nodded. "Probably," Chancellor Harris answered. "Besides, believers do need something to believe in. We've got uprisings on four of the seven continents."

"Four?" I exclaimed. That wasn't good. If the majority of continents had uprisings, what was to stop the other continents?

"Even a rumor of Russell's escape would be enough to defeat Vampire Rights bills in most countries," Chancellor Akinjide said.

"I got bills passed all over Scandinavia months ago," Chancellor Drew bragged. Everyone, including me, turned to glare at him. "Just saying."

"Oh, please," Chancellor Harris drawled. "The most liberal humans in the world. Hardly any radical believers to rock the boat. Even a child could do it." I could tell she touched a nerve with Chancellor Drew, because he was glaring daggers at her before he rolled his eyes and shook his head. Chancellor Drew appeared young (I'd say around 10 at the youngest, 12 at the oldest), but in vamp years, he was 92 years old. Like I said before, he was the youngest member of the Authority in age and appearance.

"Speaking of 'radical believers,' turn to two," Chancellor Braun said with a small smile.

Chancellor Akinjide switched the view screen on his laptop, and I saw Nora in her prison cell as she said, "I swear fealty to the Blood and to the progenitor. The First, The Last, The Eternal. Father and Mother, Lord and Lilith, protect me as I protect you from now until the hour of the True Death."

"Kind of insane," I muttered. "I know not all vampires are like this, but do you all really go to that level of orthodox worship?"

"Not necessarily," Chancellor Akinjide replied.

"What a lunatic," Chancellor Braun observed. "It's like she means it." Chancellor Akinjide pushed a button on his laptop, and the UV lights in Nora's prison cell activated. This caused her to scream in pain. "Wake up, sister, it's just a book! I know the guy who wrote it and he was high the whole time."

"I'd be careful saying things like that if I were you," I said. "Guardian doesn't like you disparaging the book."

"You are one of us, Huntress," Chancellor Harris growled. "You may not be vampire or a chancellor, but you are still a member of the Authority. Don't go around talking as though you aren't."

"Whatever," I said as I rolled my eyes.

"Preteens," I heard Chancellor Harris mutter. "Thank G-d those years are far behind me."

"I don't see the Guardian here," Chancellor Braun commented.

"He's busy with his own woman on her knees," Chancellor Drew said.

"Ew. Please get that image out of my head," I said, disgusted. Just as Chancellor Drew turned to face me, I quickly said, "That was rhetorical. Don't glamor me. We all had an agreement, remember? No glamoring. I'm going to go to the store and pick up some...things."

"What kind of 'things?'" Chancellor Drew asked. The other chancellors tried to stifle their laughs, but they weren't doing a good job.

"Um...you know..."

"No, I don't."

"Seriously? You weren't around when the freaking tampon was invented? You didn't take sex ed in school?" That's when the other chancellors started laughing. Chancellor Drew took a minute before his eyes widened in shock and his cheeks flushed about fifty shades of red. He quickly looked down. "Took you long enough. May I go?"

"Sorry, Yue," Roman said as he walked into the room. "You may not. We are about to start interrogating Chancellor Gainesborough, and Chancellor Agrippa thought it would be helpful to have you there."

"How much help can I be? I'm a human, I've only been around you and the other chancellors for a little bit over a year-"

"You look to Nora as a sister. I know she felt the same about you. You might be able to help us. Bring whatever weapons you deem necessary and meet us by Nora's cell in ten minutes."

* * *

It was ten minutes later, and I had my weapons prepped. I dressed in my hunter's outfit: black cowgirl boots with silver spurs, dark jeans, and a black shirt. My long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. I tucked silver daggers into the sides of my boots. I figured I wouldn't need much in the way of weaponry. I walked out of my room and went to Nora's cell.

Sure enough, Roman and Chancellor Agrippa were already there. Nora was seated in some sort of chair with manacles that was connected to...I have no idea. I assumed it was blood with silver in it. Or just liquid silver. I took a dagger out of my boot. "Shall we begin?" I asked.

Roman and Chancellor Agrippa nodded. Chancellor Agrippa and I approached Nora. "It pains me to see you like this, Nora," I whispered in Chinese.

Chancellor Agrippa got in Nora's face and whispered, "The righteous do suffer."

"I am not Job," Nora whispered. "I accept my fate."

"And you accept the fate of the True Death that will come of your treason?" Roman asked.

Nora whimpered before she took a deep breath. "So be it," she said.

"Nora, my dear," Chancellor Agrippa said, "I won't accept it. I've loved you as my own blood for centuries. And I won't see you martyred for the sins of others. Who has swayed you? Who is gathering the extremists to bring us down?"

"All you have to do is tell them, Nora," I added. "You already confessed to being a Sanguinist."

"I just don't see you as a leader," Roman commented.

"Fuck off," Nora said before she began to laugh. "You have seared and sliced every inch of my body. There's nothing left to say."

"What about Bill and Eric?" I asked. "If you care nothing for your own life, surely you care about their lives."

"Kill them. What do I care? They'll probably die anyway."

I looked at Roman. He smiled as he took out his phone. "Shall we do it now?" he asked with a smirk. "I love this thing. Especially this app." Roman showed the screen of his phone to Nora, and i-Stake app was open; the execute button was right smack in the middle of the screen. "You say the word, I'll trigger the stakes. Say the word. Say the word."

Nora gasped. "If I tell you...if I tell you, how can I be assured of their safety?"

Chancellor Agrippa bared her fangs and bit her wrist. Before the wound closed up, she put blood on her fingertips and drew a cross across her chest with the blood. "I swear," Chancellor Agrippa promised, "upon the blood of Lilith. Give us the name of the true infidel, and Northman and Compton will both be spared."

She bent down to Nora's level and drew a cross on her chest before she said, "This is my most solemn vow as a believer." A blood oath. That was sacred among vampires. The highest promise a vampire could make. One who made it had to stay true to their word. Chancellor Agrippa leaned in close and whispered, "Tell me."

Nora began to cry, and Chancellor Agrippa took Nora into her arms. I watched for a minute before I saw Nora sit up and whisper something into Chancellor Agrippa's ear. Roman and I exchanged a look before he put his phone away. "Do we have what we need?" I asked Roman in Chinese. "May I go now?"

"You may not. I want you to be around for this. Go during the daytime," Roman answered.

* * *

"Cercis Siliquastrum," Roman said as he stroked the top of a silver-tipped stake. The chancellors were all seated around the usual table and I leaned against the wall. Everyone seemed to be on edge, and I could understand why. Roman wouldn't have a stake out without any reason. Someone was going to be executed. I had a feeling I knew who, but I wasn't positive. "At least, that's what the scientists call it. A bit clumsy for my taste. I prefer the colloquial."

"The Judas Tree," I replied.

Roman nodded. "Ah, there. That tells us everything, doesn't it? And thus it was from this bough that Judas Iscariot hanged himself. The tip melted down from his thirty pieces of silver. The price paid for his betrayal. That is, if you believe in that sort of thing."

"It's what the book says," I commented, "is it not?"

"Yes, but really, who's to say? Any shard of wood will do the job," Roman said as he walked around with the stake. "But if you take the book literally, then, yes, here it is. The holy of the holies."

"We all have matters to attend to. May I motion to adjourn?" Chancellor Braun asked. Clearly, he was bored of this. Well, Chancellor Braun wasn't the only one. I needed to go to the drug store, and it wasn't a 24/7 drug store that I went to. They closed at 3 AM, and Roman wouldn't let me out past 12 midnight. I really needed to talk to him about this whole concept of 'independence.'

"Oh, no, I can't do that," Roman said. "I'm having your quarters searched. Yue's included."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Guards...in MY ROOM?! Guardian, you can't possibly..." I was practically speechless. For someone who said I was like a daughter to him, he certainly didn't seem to trust me much.

As I was trying to get over my initial shock, Chancellor Akinjide protested, "Guardian, it is not possible. We are all loyal."

"And we all know that there are extremists who still refuse to recognize the wisdom of mainstreaming," Roman countered. I noticed Chancellor Drew shift uncomfortably in his chair. So he _was_ the other traitor. I had a feeling it was him. What I didn't understand was why, and something told me I wasn't going to find out. "If one chancellor can be strayed from the path, then why not two?"

Guards came in with an open laptop. One that thankfully wasn't mine. They sat it in front of Roman, who picked up a piece of paper from it. He looked at it and Chancellor Agrippa asked, "Is it true?"

"It is as Nora said," Roman answered. "There is another traitor." He held the stake under his arm before he picked up the laptop and began to walk as he muttered, "Treachery. Sedition under this roof." He eventually stopped at Chancellor Drew. I could tell the chancellors were all uncomfortable, but Chancellor Drew seemed the most uncomfortable. He did his best to hide it, but even I, a human, could tell he wasn't prepared for what was coming. "Chancellor Drew," Roman began as he placed the laptop down in front of the chancellor, "can you explain why this is in your possession?"

Roman used the silver tip of the stake to press the space bar and play the video. A presumably human woman's screams could be heard in the video as who we all assumed was Chancellor Drew growled, "Die human. You are food to us." The poor woman's screams continued until Roman pressed the space bar and stopped the video. Chancellor Drew shifted uncomfortably. "Guardian," he began, "I apologize. It's a stupid memento. Who here hasn't fed on a human at some point?" Fear became evident in his voice. Roman was like a dragon. Calmed down, he was relatively peaceful. Make him mad, and you'd fear his wrath.

"There are those of us who do," Roman said in a loud voice. "We certainly don't tape it, let alone send it out to Miserata, Damascus, St. Petersburg! Sent to known enemies of the Authority with the encrypted message, 'In sympathy and solidarity.'"

Chancellor Drew once again shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He could no longer hide his fear, and even I knew he was going to meet the True Death any minute now. I looked at him, as did the other chancellors. While I did not necessarily care if he lived or died, Chancellor Drew was Authority and was one of many vampires who made me feel welcome in the Authority's quarters. Having been around vampires more than humans, I was actually quite unsure of what to feel. "Guardian, I can explain," he said with fear evident in his voice. "I was infiltrating them. Gaining their trust. I-"

Roman cut him off as he bared his fangs. Chancellor Drew screamed as Roman picked him up out of his seat at vampire speed and staked him. What was Chancellor Drew was now a pile of blood and guts on his chair and splatters of blood on Roman's face. I was lucky to be standing far enough away so that none of it got on me. Blood stains were hard to get out. Having had my time of the month twice so far and bled a little on the bed, I should know.

"Alert your constituents," Roman ordered. "No further opposition to our just cause. You will...fall in line. Am I understood?" The chancellors and I nodded. I wasn't sure why I followed their lead, but then again, Roman did have the guards search my room, and I figured it would be best not to piss him off any further. "Bless the blood."

"Bless the blood," the chancellors said in Hebrew. I repeated it in my pretty broken Hebrew. Like I said, while I wasn't fluent in Hebrew and knew enough to get by with the Authority's rituals, that didn't mean I could pronounce everything with perfection. I looked at what was Chancellor Drew's chair and sighed. I mentally thanked Nora for giving up the name as I quietly walked out of the room.

* * *

That night, I couldn't sleep. It wasn't usual for me. My dream was vivid this time, however. I saw a figure with a black hood and a silver skull necklace. It started to speak to me in what sounded like Greek before I woke up. Who was he? I had no idea. No theories or anything. So, I did what I always did when I couldn't sleep: I went to the library. I wanted to find out more about this hooded figure. Well, what I could, at any rate. I grabbed my laptop and locked the door to my room before I left for the library.

"Can't sleep?" Roman asked from behind a pole he was leaning against as I was on my way to the library.

I jumped. "You scared me," I said.

"Someone needs to work on keeping their guard up. You're surrounded by vampires, after all."

"It's not like any of you want my blood. You said it yourself; it smells like rotting corpses."

"While you do make a good point, it's still something to keep in mind."

"Fair enough."

"Library?"

"You know me too well." I smiled and began to walk as Roman followed me. I stopped, however, and turned back to face Roman. He raised an eyebrow. "I have questions, and I want answers."

Roman sighed. "I will answer what I can."

It was my turn to sigh. This was going to be hard. Well, I started with the easiest question. "Why did you have the guards search my room? You know movements like the Sanguinista only recruit vampires."

"Because if I didn't, the chancellors would think I was showing special treatment. While you are like a daughter to me, you also have to fall in line with the others." I figured that was fair enough, though I didn't like it. The thought of guards invading my room, my place of privacy, was a little unsettling. Not that anything inappropriate was in there, but a person's room is their safe haven. I didn't like that my safe haven had been invaded by guards. "What's your next question?"

"I had a dream. It was...surprisingly vivid."

"'Vivid?'"

I nodded. "There was a figure with a black cloak. The figure had a hood over its head and started speaking to me in what I think was ancient Greek."

"Could you understand it?"

I shook my head. "By the time the figure got about half a word out, I woke up. What is this about?"

"Why are you asking me? It was your dream."

"What if it was more than that, though? What if it actually means something?"

"We don't know that. Although..."

Roman seemed puzzled by something. That was rare to see from a vampire. "'Although?'" I pressed on.

"There is someone who is often depicted like that, but he's only a myth. Well, that's what the books say. Let's go to the library. I'll show you." I had studied mythology with the Magister, but it was mostly mythology about vampires. I was familiar with some stories from Greek and Roman mythology, as well as Chinese, but I never studied those intensely.

Roman and I walked to the library in silence. Upon arrival, I followed him into one of the aisles. I saw him pull out a big book that looked like it would be heavy for a human, myself included (probably). He brought it over to one of the desks in the library and opened it. He skimmed the table of contents until he found what he was looking for. He flipped to the page, and when I saw the image on the page, my eyes widened. "No way," I gasped.

It was Hades, the Greek god of the dead.

"Does he look like the figure in your dream?" Roman asked.

I could only nod. "Why him?"

"No idea."

"I'm as healthy as a horse, right? I mean, you can't smell anything beyond the usual, right?"

"Right. Look, it's almost midnight, you really-"

"Midnight?"

"Yes. Why?"

"My birthday is tomorrow. I'll be thirteen. Any chance I could go to a restaurant or store on my own to celebrate? No offense, but I honestly doubt you have anything planned, given the current...climate."

"You'll be around humans."

"So? I'm human. It's my birthday; I should treat myself. It's not like I'll spend that much money, anyway. I don't have human friends, you know that."

Roman thought for a minute. "Maybe it's time you made some. I can't have you celebrating at night, given the current climate. I'd feel safer if one of my day men accompanied you somewhere."

"No. I want to go by myself." Roman raised an eyebrow. "A guard going with me will only raise suspicion. Guards go with me almost everywhere. It's annoying. I even have your day-men watching me while I go on runs around the building. Did I also mention that both the guards and day-men wait outside my shower? My _fucking_ shower? It makes me think one of them is going to step in any minute and touch me in...areas I'd rather not say."

"You know they're more professional than that. They would never-"

"Can't you lighten my security detail up a little bit? I'm almost thirteen, after all. It's not like I'm old enough to go to a bar and get drunk. I just want a little more independence at night. Besides, if anything happens, I have your number, all the Chancellors' numbers, and a vampire friendly 911 on speed-dial. If anything keeps me, I'll text you so you can tell the day-men I'm not an intruder or anything."

Roman put a hand on the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Fine. But I want you back before sundown. If anything keeps you later, I want you to text me. However, if you feel something is wrong, I want you to come right back here." I nodded. I guessed that this whole 'giving independence to kids' thing was new to Roman, so I figured he'd need a little more practice with it. I know he said I was like a daughter to him, but Roman never talked much about his human life, if at all. I never knew if he had kids in his human life before he was turned. "You can take your Vespa. Now back to bed. I have...matters to attend to."

I nodded and walked back to my room. I felt like I had more questions than answers. Why would Hades, lord of the dead, appear in my dream? What was he doing in my head? I wasn't dying...right? I got back into bed and my sleep was dreamless.


End file.
